A 46-year-old woman was found early Thursday morning outside a Valley Lee residence with a severe cut to her neck, according to police investigators who report later taking a suspect into custody in Calvert County.

St. Mary’s sheriff’s deputies located Bridgette Faye Hayden shortly after 2 a.m. and began immediate life-saving efforts as rescue volunteers also responded to the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. She initially was taken to MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, before she was transferred to a regional trauma center, where she remained in critical condition at midday Thursday.

Detectives found the suspect, Patrick James Hutching, 31, of Leonardtown, at a relative’s home in Calvert County. He was charged with attempted murder and assault.

The sheriff’s office reported that the victim had been involved in an argument over the phone with Hutching. After the phone conversation, Hutching went to Hayden’s residence, according to police, which is when the crime occurred. He later called a witness indicating he had seriously harmed Hayden, the sheriff’s office said, and the witness responded to Hayden’s residence and found her outside on the ground bleeding from a severe laceration to her neck.

On Nov. 13, according to the sheriff’s office, Hutching was charged with assaulting Hayden and had been released on bond Nov. 17.

Store assault injures man’s eyesight

Trevone Demone Butler, 23, of Lexington Park has been charged with first-degree assault in court papers alleging he beat another man in the head, injuring his skull and eyes, during a confrontation last month in an employee area of a California business.

Butler and Thomas Beckwith both were employed at the Best Buy store when the Nov. 16 assault occurred, according to charging papers filed by sheriff’s deputy Jean Vezzosi.

Beckwith was treated at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, and “the assault has caused a loss of vision in the victim’s eye requiring extensive medical treatment,” the deputy wrote Wednesday in a charges application.

A court commissioner jailed Butler on Wednesday in lieu of $50,000 bond.

Driver charged with attempted assault

John William Vallandingham Jr., 55, of Park Hall was jailed Wednesday in lieu of $5,000 bond on charging papers alleging he tried to run over a former girlfriend earlier that day at Great Mills Road in Lexington Park.

Vallandingham was charged with an attempted first-degree assault on Adrain Jean Dupont, who told police that the incident followed a dispute over a laptop computer, according to a statement of probable cause filed by sheriff’s’ deputy John Davis. Vallandingham told police that he had no contact with the woman.